Occupational safety for SMEs
Occupational safety and health protection are firmly anchored in most larger companies. However, small and medium-sized companies are also doing their utmost not only to improve occupational safety selectively, but to implement it systematically. It is not uncommon for them to receive help from their industry association with an industry solution.
Aue to the legal requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety and Accident Insurance Act, every company must know its hazards, take appropriate protective measures and inform its employees about them. If special hazards are present, such as forklift trucks, presses, work with hazardous substances or with noise that endangers hearing, "occupational physicians or other specialists in occupational safety", in short ASA specialists, must be called in to clarify these hazards.
Now, in practice, it makes little sense for every joinery or every bakery to call in an ASA specialist to identify identical hazards and propose identical protective measures. For this reason, the EKAS (Federal Coordination Commission for Occupational Safety) recommends that industry associations offer so-called industry solutions in which all members can be provided with the necessary information and tools.
Broad services
In an industry solution, the first thing that ASA specialists usually do is to create a comprehensive ri
Risk assessment
risk assessment, which identifies and evaluates the hazards in the industry and proposes appropriate protective measures. The content of this risk assessment is nothing new for the individual company. They have already had to deal with these hazards up to now. However, the risk assessment represents a systematic collection of these hazards and also describes the current state of the art in how these hazards are dealt with. It also shows the sponsors of the industry solution where the focus should be on information and training.
Companies that are members of an industry solution usually benefit from several services:
Work independently
Based on the risk assessment, the industry solution compiles tools such as checklists with which the company itself can identify its specific hazards and check the adequate protective measures. With the resulting action plan, the company can decide for itself when and how to implement which measure.
Document implementation
Since the companies not only have to implement the measures, but also credibly demonstrate the implementation, the documentation of the most important steps has proven itself. In some industries, management systems such as a QMS are widespread. In other industries, people are still a bit more cautious about paperwork. For this reason, the industry solutions provide a manual that optimally meets the needs in the industry. It can be structured as a manual for an occupational safety management system or already contain the necessary forms, which the company only has to fill out.
Introduction and training
To ensure that the responsible employees in the companies know how to carry out the risk assessment and how to use the manual, the industry solutions offer introductory courses for the participating companies. In regular advanced training courses, so-called ERFA
Part of a QM system
On the one hand, the participants have the opportunity to exchange information about the progress of occupational safety in their company. On the other hand, innovations in the state of the art, in legal requirements or simply focal hazards and protective measures are discussed.
Information
With regular newsletters, the member companies are also informed and kept up to date during the year about focal points and innovations in the requirements of the technology.
Auditing
Many industry solutions have integrated a so-called system audit in their own controlling. Every year, a certain number of randomly selected companies are visited by ASA specialists. On the one hand, the documentation is looked at, and on the other hand, the implementation in practice is checked. In this way, the company receives feedback on its efforts and, at the same time, competent advice on site, during which the next
steps and priorities can be discussed.
Controlling
In addition to these audits, controlling is usually also carried out on absence figures and accident blackspots in the companies.
ASA specialists on site
The evaluation of the entire industry solution then usually even allows a benchmarking of the participating companies.
Several alternatives
Unfortunately, not all industries offer their members such an industry solution. On the other hand, not all companies are organized in industry associations either. That is why, in addition to industry solutions, there are also other inter-company solutions such as company group solutions or model solutions. The company can also opt for an individual solution.
Company group solutions are suitable for larger companies or groups that want to have a uniform solution for all sub-companies. However, the responsibility for implementation remains with the sub-operations. A group solution also requires a sponsor who coordinates the solution and is responsible for its further development.
Model solutions are usually offered by consultants. They are organised in a similar way to the industry solution described. Except that they are not limited to one industry association, but are applied across several different industries and hazards. Since this covers many more different hazards, the support is usually also more individual and intensive.
This leaves the individual solution. The level of supervision by external ASA specialists is most differentiated in the individual ASA solution. An employee of the company can also train as an ASA specialist and take over the functions internally.
Recommendations of the EKAS
However the solution is chosen, the ten points below must somehow be settled.
- Safety mission statement and objectives
- Security Organization
- Training, instruction, information
- Safety rules
- Hazard identification, risk assessment
- Planning and implementation of measures
- Emergency organization
- Participation
- Health protection
- Control, Audit
The FCOS has defined these points as a recommendation on how a safety concept should be structured. These ten points can either be used as chapters in the company-specific safety concept or be covered in the existing management system. The points of mission statement, objectives, training, rules, emergency concept and controlling are usually already present in an existing quality or environmental management system. It is therefore not worthwhile to describe these processes again specifically for occupational safety. It is recommended to integrate the aspects of occupational safety and health protection into the existing management system. The other points can then be attached as applicable documents.
Practical tips
In practice, the following procedure has proven successful:
1. safety mission statement
and objectives The mission statement should not be too long. If the company already has a mission statement, the aspect of occupational health and safety can be integrated. The objectives should also be defined by the management, approved and passed on to the organisational units for implementation. Of course, there are objectives that only concern the occupational safety officer, such as "reviewing and updating the emergency concept". Others, such as "reducing accident absences by ten percent", are neither within the competence nor the feasibility of the occupational safety officer.
2. security organisation
Responsibility for occupational safety and health lies with the line management. This means that in the event of a serious accident, in addition to the person who has suffered the accident, his or her line manager and, if necessary, all line managers up to and including management are consulted. Nevertheless, an occupational safety officer is often appointed to support the line management and to coordinate occupational safety in the company. If possible, his position (parallel to that of the quality officer) should be a staff position directly below the management.
3. training, instruction, information
All employees must be informed about the occupational safety concept, their duties, tasks and rights as well as the safety rules applicable in the company. Occupational safety and health protection must be included in job-specific instructions. However, there are also basic topics such as lifting and carrying or falling and tripping which can be instructed independently of the activity. For work involving special hazards (forklift trucks, power saws, crane operation), training by a designated specialist is necessary. All instruction and training should be verifiably documented. Regular refreshers are highly recommended.
4. safety rules
The house rules are a safety rule that almost every company has. In addition, depending on the work, there are rules on which personal protective equipment must be worn and who is allowed to carry out which work. Operating instructions for machines can also be safety rules. However, it is better if these are rewritten as work instructions adapted to the company. The handling of hazardous substances should also be clearly regulated.
5. hazard identification, risk assessment
There are various methods for systematically identifying hazards and risks in the company. The use of checklists has proved to be very effective. In the case of special hazards and if the specialist knowledge is not available, ASA specialists must be consulted. If no rules for dealing with these hazards are known, a risk assessment is indicated.
Requirements of the EKAS
6. planning and implementation of measures
The measures identified on the basis of the hazard identification should be prioritised and implemented. Since other people are usually responsible for implementation, it is the responsibility of the occupational safety officer to regularly monitor the implementation of the measures. It is also advisable to document the implementation.
7. emergency organisation
Emergency organisation includes first aid, fire and evacuation. The extent of the precautions depends strongly on the existing hazards and the number of employees in the company. For first aid, the care and support of the casualties must be ensured until the arrival of the ambulance. It is advisable to draw up a sensible concept for this with specialists.
8. participation
In small companies, thanks to the flat hierarchies, participation often takes place at the coffee table. In larger companies, it is advisable for the occupational safety coordinator to maintain close contact with the personnel committee. If there is no personnel committee, a so-called employee representative can also be appointed.
9. health protection
The chapter on health protection includes the requirements regarding working hours, maternity protection, protection of minors, etc. The link to health promotion may also be documented here.
10. control, audit
Every management system requires control. Those who set goals should also check whether they have achieved them. With regular control rounds, which are also documented, the most important danger points can be regularly checked. With an annual report on the activities in the area of occupational safety and health protection, it can be emphasised to everyone in the company what one wanted to achieve, what one did not achieve and why it could not be achieved.
